Nintendo Chief Promises 3DS Will Have Hardcore Games

[John Funk]

Nintendo Chief Promises 3DS Will Have Hardcore Games

Nintendo's big boss Satoru Iwata wants hardcore gamers to know that his company will be offering heavy support to games targeted at them.

In case you missed it last week, Nintendo's 3DS was a pretty big deal, with everything but the proverbial kitchen sink [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101377-PilotWings-MGS-StarFox-Headline-3DS-Lineup]. However, some gamers remained skeptical: Nintendo's popular DS and Wii systems had both strongly catered to more "casual" gamers - could the new 3DS actually be a system for them?

According to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, the answer is yes.

Speaking first-party support [http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100623D23JFA10.htm] - it would also court third-party publishers as well. Having all but conquered the casual market, Nintendo's goal is to "expand into elaborate games targeting serious gamers."

Iwata suggested that the DS and its library of software catered primarily towards people who weren't gamers by nature, and that Nintendo would like to change that with the 3DS. Not only was the 3DS much more powerful than the DS had been, Iwata told Nikkei, but Nintendo had sought feedback from developers while designing the new system - and had incorporated much of that feedback into the design in order to woo them to its side.

"These partnerships are good for both Nintendo and the software developers," said Iwata. And with titles like Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D: The Naked Sample, Resident Evil Revelations, and a new Final Fantasy in the works, hopefully they'll be good for core gamers, too.

Now come on, Iwata. How about a new Elite Beat Agents, eh?

(Via Gamespot [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6266844.html])

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[Deofuta]

Sweet! I was pretty damn sure that was the direction with their beautiful line of games coming out for this machine, and having him confirm it makes me feel all the better about

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Well, duh.

Nintendo's handhelds have always had large "hardcore" (whatever that actually means) libraries. The DS library is quite awesome, thanks to the 3 Castlevania games, especially. Not to mention the tons of great JRPGs, and the Professor Layton games. And much more.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

After reading the list of games to come out for the 3DS, I never doubted for a second that us Hardcore Bros would be left out in the dark. I mean come on, Metal Gear Solid, Kingdom Hearts and Resident Evil. It could on be more Hardcore if Call of Duty will go on it, which, knowing Treyarch, it probably will. Now, bring on the release date for TGS please Nintendo. I need to know the deadline to throw money at you, then some more money. Possibly some Battenburg cake with it.

Calumon: Don't touch my Fruitcake!

 

[theaceplaya]

Labels aside (hardcore, casual, they're all meaningless to how YOU play), it's nice to see Nintendo show some love back to the demographic who supported them through the NES... and SNES... and N64... and GameCube. Not to mention the GameBoy and all it's various iterations.

 

[Jeronus]

Spring 2011 seems to be farther and farther away. Damn it, Nintendo! I hate you so much for not releasing this thing in 2010. I might as well buy a DS in the meantime.

 

[subtlefuge]

I think the PSP was a good idea in theory, but with the 3DS I really don't see it having a future other than a couple Sony execs and Kevin Butler tearfully pulling the plug on their bastard child. It'll go the way of the GameGear before it.

 

[Gigaguy64]

Im just happy that it will be receiving some awesome Series.

Iv wanted a MGS game for a long time but iv only got Nintendo Systems and i cant find "The Twin Snakes" anywhere.

I cant wait to see what else we will get in the future.

 

[Jared]

Nice to see they will be giving it pleny of support to help it keep going! I really want to say ill buy one, and, the lineup so far does have me excited...its just the 3D think for me

 

[elvor0]

But it's another DS. The only innovation on it is a 3D screen. I'm a Black Scottish Cyclops. I don't have depth perception. I think I can stick with Dawn of Sorrow until Nintendo actually makes a new handheld.

It quite obviously isnt, look at that screen shot and tell me it doesnt have an entire new hardware system, the 3DS is still a code name for it, also nintendo even said that it had the power of a gamecube at least, which means it ISNT the same hardware as a DS.

 

[Pimppeter2]

The 3DS was sold for me a long while ago. Now they're just showing off.

 

[Tom Phoenix]

Nintendo Chief Promises 3DS Will Have Hardcore Games

Nintendo's big boss Satori Iwata wants hardcore gamers to know that his company will be offering heavy support to games targeted at them.

In case you missed it last week, Nintendo's 3DS was a pretty big deal, with everything but the proverbial kitchen sink [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101377-PilotWings-MGS-StarFox-Headline-3DS-Lineup]. However, some gamers remained skeptical: Nintendo's popular DS and Wii systems had both strongly catered to more "casual" gamers - could the new 3DS actually be a system for them?

According to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, the answer is yes.

Speaking first-party support [http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20100623D23JFA10.htm] - but that it would also court third-party publishers as well. Having all but conquered the casual market, Nintendo's goal is to "expand into elaborate games targeting serious gamers."

Iwata suggested that the DS and its library of software catered primarily towards people who weren't gamers by nature, and that Nintendo would like to change that with the 3DS. Not only was the 3DS much more powerful than the DS had been, Iwata told Nikkei, but Nintendo had sought feedback from developers while designing the new system - and had incorporated much of that feedback into the design in order to woo them to its side.

"These partnerships are good for both Nintendo and the software developers," said Iwata. And with titles like Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D: The Naked Sample, Resident Evil Revelations, and a new Final Fantasy in the works, hopefully they'll be good for core gamers, too.

(Via Gamespot [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6266844.html])

Permalink

On one hand, I am very pleased to hear that Nintendo isn't going to neglect core gamers this time around. Looking at the planned starting lineup for the 3DS, I have to say that we have every reason to be pleased.

On the other, however, this move is quite uncharacteristic of Nintendo. Contrary to the "strategy of disruption" [http://malstrom.50webs.com/birdman.html] that the company usually employs, it almost seems like Nintendo wants to start the lifecycle of the 3DS by aiming at all tiers of gamers all at once. While that certainly is ambitious, it does leave me concerned. By not focusing their initial efforts on downmarket or "casual" games and working their way up, but trying to do everything at the same time instead, Nintendo could very well end up shooting themselves in the foot and the 3DS as a platform could suffer for it.

Having said that, I do admit that it is entirely possible that I am tying the concept of "strategy of disruption" too much with a handheld console's lifecycle. Considering what Iwata has been saying in his interviews, it is entirely possible that both the DS and the 3DS are part of a single "strategy of disruption". It is possible that the DS served the function of introducing gaming to new people and bridging the gap between them and core gamers, while the 3DS serves the function of pushing these people into the upstream or "hardcore" market.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Now come on, Iwata. How about a new Elite Beat Agents, eh?

They could always tease us with a new, dare I say, Mother title...or, hell, a compilation? Even Sin and Punishment and Kid Icarus are getting more love than Mother, and that's just weird.

 

[Worgen]

I really hope the 3ds doesnt get just flooded with shovel ware like the ds and wii have, since it sounds like its got some good power behind it I think that more "hardcore" devs will be willing to really get behind it tho

 

[JediMB]

I really hope the 3ds doesnt get just flooded with shovel ware like the ds and wii have, since it sounds like its got some good power behind it I think that more "hardcore" devs will be willing to really get behind it tho

All popular consoles get flooded with bad games. We just choose not to remember most of the bad titles as time goes by.

 

[shaboinkin]

But it's another DS. The only innovation on it is a 3D screen. I'm a Black Scottish Cyclops. I don't have depth perception. I think I can stick with Dawn of Sorrow until Nintendo actually makes a new handheld.

Gameboy -> gameboy color -> Gameboy advanced -> DS -> 3DS

Minus all of the "improved designs" each new system has just had graphical improvements as their main selling point. (With the exception of the GBA to the DS.)